The State of South Brisbane Cemetery: A Groundbreaking Report

Above: A volunteer recording data for the ‘State of the Cemetery’ report, October 2022. (C Dawson)

Late in 2022 I initiated a project that had been on the drawing board for a couple of years – a Friends of South Brisbane Cemetery survey of the infrastructure within the South Brisbane Cemetery, recording any issues with footpaths, trees, drains, roads, seating, etc. In order to keep the workload focussed and manageable, the condition of the monuments was not recorded, but that might be a job for another day…

The cemetery opened in 1870, and much of the current infrastructure within there (such as thoroughfares, navigational signage, plantings, drains and amenities) is at least half a century old. The state of this aging infrastructure and its effect on continued public access and heritage protection needed to be thoroughly assessed.

The purpose of this ‘State of the Cemetery’ project is to create a historical record of current problems, with the results intended to provide a guide for future action. Addressing these issues will not only help to extend the long-term lifespan of the heritage fabric within the cemetery, but it would also enhance public safety, especially as any future ‘activation’ of the cemetery for community activities would likely increase visitation numbers. It will also improve visitor comfort, cemetery aesthetics, and tangibly demonstrate the value that the Brisbane City Council and the FOSBC place on this important heritage site.

How all this is achieved is something that we will be approaching Brisbane City Council to discuss. A long-term government/community partnership appears to be the best (and most affordable) hope for solving the problems we listed.

The survey was conducted during October-November 2022 by FOSBC volunteers. This was intensive work, as volunteers had to walk along each row in every section of the cemetery (a total of approximately 600 rows across 54 sections) to observe any relevant issues, which were recorded on survey forms and photographed, with the results then being transcribed into the final report. Subjective assessments were also made for each individual issue regarding ‘priority’ and ‘recommended action’. This was a massive job.

Below: Some the team involved in producing the ‘State of the Cemetery’ report.

All in all, a total of 15 people were involved in producing the report. The experience of the ‘Friends of South Brisbane Cemetery’ volunteers in organising community cleaning days, researching and mapping graves, and conducting hundreds of guided tours, means they are uniquely placed to provide an assessment of its current condition.

The end result of all this work is a 358-page report listing (with images and maps) nearly 1,300 individual issues. Some are very bad and need immediate attention, while others probably just need monitoring over the years, but although some of these issues may appear to be quite minor now, it is a fact that they will only worsen over time if left unaddressed.

The main findings of this ‘State of the Cemetery’ report are (VERY briefly):

• Many of the pathways within the cemetery are in poor condition and need to be improved. Some are quite dangerous, especially for people with mobility issues.
• Tree management needs to be improved in the interests of public safety and heritage protection.
• Visitors experience difficulties navigating the cemetery. Signage and directions need to be improved.
• Traffic flow in the cemetery is problematic due to narrow roads.
• Most of the drains in the cemetery are generally adequate, although some need better protection from debris, and some drain covers need repairing.
• A few monuments are leaning dangerously.
• Public seating in the cemetery is now generally adequate, although it is possible for more benches to be installed.
• The cemetery needs a public shelter.
• More landscaping should be carried out.

What happens next remains to be seen. The cemetery is heritage-listed and its historical significance only increases with age, so the heritage fabric needs to be protected for generations to come. It is also an active social space close to the inner city and attracts a variety of users – and will probably continue to do so for decades to come – so the safety of visitors also needs to monitored.

Apart from the basic information shared above, most of this report will be kept under wraps for the moment, while the FOSBC consults with BCC and seeks to initiate a long-term programme to start fixing the problems we found.

The FOSBC ‘State of the Cemetery’ Report is an innovative community-led project that lets all stakeholders know exactly where the problems are so we can start working together to make the South Brisbane Cemetery a better place in the years to come.